Still time to catch final performance of Union City’s Vagina Monologues Sunday

If you missed the Friday and Saturday performances of The Vagina Monologues at the William V. Musto Cultural Center, you’re in luck! The final performance will be held on Sunday (Feb. 17) at 5 p.m. The cultural center is located at 420 15th St. in Union City.

The world-renowned play consists of colorful performances by an all-female cast, with monologues that address women’s issues. The goal of V-Day Hudson County aligns with the goal of the global V-Day campaign: to bring attention to the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sex slavery.

“This is one of the most critical movements of all generations; past, present and future,” The Vagina Monologues: Hudson County Director Yenexis Quintana said. “This play creates the opportunity for all to listen to and speak about the stigmas surrounding women, their sexuality, and to break out of the silence surrounding rape and abuse. It is a poignant outlet for expression and all emotions surrounding the beauty and strength that is a woman.”

Ticket prices for all performances are $25, or $20 with a student ID. Reserve tickets by contacting Yenexis Quintana at 201-936-3162 or at HCVaginaMono@gmail.com. Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the performances.

All proceeds will be donated to Women Rising Inc. of Jersey City and the global V-Day campaign.

Spanish bagpiper to be featured in upcoming waterfront concert

Cristina Pato, a world-renowned bagpiper, will be featured in Hudson River Performing Arts Center’s (HRPAC) upcoming concert this Wednesday, Feb. 20 in the atrium of the UBS building located at 1000 Harbor Boulevard in Weehawken.

Hailed by the BBC as “the Galician bagpipe diva,” Cristina Pato’s astounding command of the instrument known as the gaita (the Spanish bagpipe) has made her an in-demand musical powerhouse on the world music scene. Renowned for her dramatic performances, Pato fuses elements of Latin, Rock, Pop, Sephardic, and Contemporary music to create a sound and vision that is energetic, flamboyant, and virtuosic.

Over a decade ago, Pato became the first female Gaita player to release a solo album, and has since collaborated with some of the biggest names in world, jazz, classical, and experimental music. She is an integral member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and has performed with The Chieftains and The Royal Pipe Band.

This concert will present Pato’s jazzier side, following, as it does, on the heels of the recent release of her new album, Migrations.

"This album is my personal and musical migration from the path I was supposed to follow and celebrates all the things that helped me to create my own way,” said Pato.

All performances for the UBS Atrium Series begin at 12:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public. For directions, late-breaking concert news, and other updates, please check the HRPAC website (www.hrpac.org) or call the concert hotline at 201-716-4540.

Still time to register for Union City recreation youth soccer leagues

The Union City Recreation Department announced the opening of registration for its spring youth soccer leagues, which are available to girls and boys ages 5 to 15 (must turn 15 before July 31), at the beginning of February. But if you didn’t have time to sign up, you still can. Registration will be open at the Bruce D. Walter Recreation Center, located at the corner of Fifth Street and West Street, on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the remainder of the month, as well as the first Saturday in March. The dates are Feb. 18-19, 21-22, 26, and 28 and March 2.

The registration requirements include proof of Union City residence, a notarized copy of your birth certificate, one recent passport-sized photo, a money order for $30. The player must be present at registration in order to be fitted for a uniform.

For more information, call (201) 697-2770 or visit facebook.com/unioncitysoccer.

Civic Association announces tax return assistance program

The Brian Stack Civic Association, the Union City mayor’s personal public service group, invited Union City residents confused about how to file tax returns this week to receive assistance at the association’s offices at 1202 Summit Ave.

The service is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The service is by appointment only. Call (201) 838-6899 to schedule an appointment.